At the Bar With Bowditchhttps://craftbrewerylegalblog.com
A Legal Blog for the Craft Brewing CommunityMon, 12 Feb 2018 17:58:57 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.480732767Beer Excise Tax has Brewers Raising Their Glasseshttps://craftbrewerylegalblog.com/2018/02/06/beer-excise-tax-brewers-raising-glasses/
https://craftbrewerylegalblog.com/2018/02/06/beer-excise-tax-brewers-raising-glasses/#respondTue, 06 Feb 2018 20:30:07 +0000https://craftbrewerylegalblog.com/?p=806The over 3,700 small brewers (defined as those producing less than 2 million barrels) in the United States had something to cheer about in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which was signed into law at the end of 2017. As part of the Act, small brewers saw the excise tax…

]]>https://craftbrewerylegalblog.com/2018/02/06/beer-excise-tax-brewers-raising-glasses/feed/0806Breweries, Breweries, Everywhere!https://craftbrewerylegalblog.com/2018/01/19/breweries-breweries-everywhere/
https://craftbrewerylegalblog.com/2018/01/19/breweries-breweries-everywhere/#respondFri, 19 Jan 2018 16:01:17 +0000https://craftbrewerylegalblog.com/?p=797It’s not your imagination, breweries really are popping up everywhere. In December of 2017, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released a “Spotlight on Statistics” for the brewing industry. Titled “Industry on Tap: Breweries,” the report examines historical employment trends for breweries and the other component industries that make up…

]]>https://craftbrewerylegalblog.com/2018/01/19/breweries-breweries-everywhere/feed/0797Going “Medieval” on Trademark Enforcementhttps://craftbrewerylegalblog.com/2018/01/17/going-medieval-trademark-enforcement/
https://craftbrewerylegalblog.com/2018/01/17/going-medieval-trademark-enforcement/#respondWed, 17 Jan 2018 17:20:03 +0000https://craftbrewerylegalblog.com/?p=788Who says trademark disputes can’t be fun? Well, plenty of people, but that’s beside the point. Anheuser Busch InBev recently showed that a serious legal message can be delivered in a humorous form. As anyone who has watched football (or just about anything else on TV, for that matter) over…

]]>https://craftbrewerylegalblog.com/2018/01/17/going-medieval-trademark-enforcement/feed/0788Cheers to Lifting Blue Laws on Pub Brewershttps://craftbrewerylegalblog.com/2018/01/16/cheers-lifting-blue-laws-pub-brewers/
https://craftbrewerylegalblog.com/2018/01/16/cheers-lifting-blue-laws-pub-brewers/#respondTue, 16 Jan 2018 18:35:12 +0000https://craftbrewerylegalblog.com/?p=782Separation of church and state? Not so much when it comes to some liquor laws. For centuries, the so-called “blue laws” have placed restrictions on the sale of alcohol in Massachusetts. To be clear, the U.S. Supreme Court has held several times that blue laws do not violate the constitutional…

]]>https://craftbrewerylegalblog.com/2018/01/16/cheers-lifting-blue-laws-pub-brewers/feed/0782Wastewater Disposal for Craft Brewershttps://craftbrewerylegalblog.com/2017/11/21/wastewater-disposal-craft-brewers/
https://craftbrewerylegalblog.com/2017/11/21/wastewater-disposal-craft-brewers/#respondTue, 21 Nov 2017 21:55:24 +0000https://www.bowditch.com/bar/?p=641Last month, a local brewery was informed by the Water & Sewer Commission in its town that its wastewater contained more pollutants than was originally anticipated. Then last week, news broke that the brewery and the Commission were close to reaching an agreement that addressed payments the brewery would make…

]]>https://craftbrewerylegalblog.com/2017/11/21/wastewater-disposal-craft-brewers/feed/0641Trick or Treat? “Zombie” Trademarks Can Be Frighteninghttps://craftbrewerylegalblog.com/2017/10/31/trick-or-treat-zombie-trademarks-can-be-frightening/
Tue, 31 Oct 2017 17:33:44 +0000https://craftbrewerylegalblog.com/?p=591Coming up with unique beer names can be a frightening prospect. With so many brewers cranking out so many outstanding beers, it can sometimes seem like all of the best names are already taken. Brewers can let out shrieks of horror when a quick search of the USPTO’s trademark database…

]]>591Preparing for an Acquisition – Are You Ready?https://craftbrewerylegalblog.com/2017/10/23/getting-your-ducks-in-a-row/
Mon, 23 Oct 2017 18:58:37 +0000https://craftbrewerylegalblog.com/?p=587This past August, Sapporo bought Anchor Brewing. Anheuser-Busch InBev has bought Wicked Weed, Four Peaks, and many more breweries. If and when your turn comes, will you be ready? Here are a few things craft breweries can do to be prepared for an acquisition. Launder your Ledger. Get your capitalization…

]]>587Liquor License Reform Still Under Review and Not Occurring Anytime Soonhttps://craftbrewerylegalblog.com/2017/10/10/liquor-license-reform-still-under-review-and-not-occurring-anytime-soon/
Tue, 10 Oct 2017 13:20:34 +0000https://craftbrewerylegalblog.com/?p=584There is much angst and anticipation as to what the overhauled changes to the antiquated liquor licensing laws will be. As of right now, it is still anyone’s guess. Since State Treasurer Deborah Goldberg “threw open the doors” and appointed a task force to create more comprehensive and cohesive booze…

]]>584Getting “Tip”-sy: What Brewers Need To Know About Tip-Pooling Arrangementshttps://craftbrewerylegalblog.com/2017/09/25/getting-tip-sy-what-brewers-need-to-know-about-tip-pooling-arrangements/
Mon, 25 Sep 2017 20:42:45 +0000https://craftbrewerylegalblog.com/?p=579Over the summer, news broke that Surly Brewing Co. was found liable by a Minnesota court for violations of the state’s tip-pooling law. The brewery, which operates a large beer hall in Minneapolis, was accused by a former bartender of requiring staff to participate in an unlawful tip-pooling scheme. Under…

]]>579Being the Bearer of Bad News – How to Handle an Employee Termination Meetinghttps://craftbrewerylegalblog.com/2017/09/18/being-the-bearer-of-bad-news-how-to-handle-an-employee-termination-meeting/
Mon, 18 Sep 2017 21:27:39 +0000https://craftbrewerylegalblog.com/?p=577News that Anheuser Busch laid off approximately 400 workers in its so-called “The High End” division (that is, the group that is buying up craft brewers and brands) serves as the most recent reminder that the business realities of running a craft brewery always remain lurking in the background. While a…